Snellville baptist church begins process to move to Duluth

SNELLVILLE - Millions of dollars in donations will be needed as the First Baptist Church of Snellville begins the legal process to move to Duluth.<br> <br> Pastor James Merritt announced Sunday night that 88 percent of voting church members had approved a motion to take the first step toward the proposed move.<br> <br> The plan calls for converting an abandoned group of warehouses and office buildings on a 70-acre tract near the Gwinnett Civic Center to a new church with a main sanctuary capable of seating 6,000.<br> <br> The location of the new church is about 12 miles north of the Snellville site.<br> <br> &#34;This was a tremendous victory for everybody,&#34; Merritt said. &#34;The church has spoken and spoken forcefully.&#34;<br> <br> The plan is for the Snellville church to accept the 70-acre tract as a donation from an unnamed group of businessmen. Once the new church is legally incorporated, the land will be deeded to the new entity.<br> <br> None of the debts incurred in the new project will be the responsibility of the existing church, Merritt said.<br> <br> But money could be an issue.<br> <br> People inside and outside the existing congregation will be asked to participate in the fund-raising for the new project, whose first phase is estimated to cost $15 million.